Snow removal construction



April 14, 1953 A JORDANOFF SNOW REMOVAL CONSTRUCTION 2 SHEETS-:SHEET 1Filed Mag 25. 1950 INVENTOR fls'sen Jordana/f ATTORNEY April 14, 1953 A.JORDANOFF 2,534,659

SNOW REMOVAL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 25. 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTORAssen Jordana BY &

%ZTQRNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1953 SNOW REMOVAL CONSTRUCTION AssenJordanofl, Brookville, N. Y., assignor of one-half to John Hagan, NewYork, N. Y.

Application May 25, 1950, Serial No. 164,071

2 Claims.

tions and more particularly to snow removal installations of pavements.

My invention is concerned with the problem of maintaining pavedrights-of-way, such as airplane runways, bridges, roadways, drivewaysclear of falling snow, and more particularly to include an installationfor treating the surfaces of pavements, roadways, runways and the likeareas to prevent the accumulation of falling snow and to assure theserviceability of such traction areas whereby service may be maintainedon such areas.

Still more particularly it is contemplated by my invention to provide aroadway construction wherein air blast means may be employed to preventthe accumulation of falling snow on a pavement serving as a tractionsurface, such as an airport runway, roadway, bridge approaches andthroughways, sidewalks and home driveways, which may be continuouslyexposed to the weather, and through which operation is assured byavoiding the accumulation of water of condensation or melting snow, iceor rain.

Known to me is the proposal to prevent the accumulation of ice and sleeton store front windows and Windshields of airplanes by spraying thereonheated air or air with liquids tendv ing to reduce the melting point ofrainwater or melted snow. Such devices have a high order of drainage formelted snow and are not designed or suitable for level surfaces or slowdraining areas.

Furthermore, the economics involved in treating extended areas, such asrunways with heated air and/or freezing point depressants, as well asthe limitation upon drainage have led to the retention of old procedureof removing snow after it has accumulated, to make such passages or areaaccessible to vehicles.

According to my invention, it is an ob, ect thereof to provide aninstallation for maintaining exposed areas such as airplane runways,grades of highways, driveways r approaches and runways of bridges clearof snow by an airblast directed thereon under conditions which assurethe formation of a blanket of rapidly moving air over the surface to betreated, including a mode of operation which prevents a rise intemperature tending to melt the snow and to take off any water which mayaccumulate by reason of condensation, whereby the pavement surfacesinvolved will be kept clear of snow under all conditions, and likewiseto prevent the accumulation of water tending to freeze or obstruct theformation of the air blanket over the pavement areas.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein orbe hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawingforming a part hereof, in which- Figure l is a perspective viewdiagrammatically 2 illustrating my installation as part of an air planerunway; Figure 2 is a perspective view, partly in section of a portionof the installation shown in Figure 1, magnified to show details;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section onthe line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4is a perspective view, partly in section, of another embodimentof myinvention.

Summarizing my invention, 1 provide a runway or the like with a conduitsubstantially flush with the runway area, and project from this conduita blast of air directed to skim the surface of the driveway and form ablanket preventing the accumulation of falling snow which may be carriedoff during snowfall and leave a clear area.

More specifically, I provide a conduit substantially flush with thepavement or traction area of a runway, which yields under the weight ofa vehicle thereover, Or is so close to it as not to obstruct the same,and to provide a curtain of air through which falling snow may notpenetrate, thereby to leave a snow clear pavement area and further toprovide a structure in the nature of a road surface, such as a runway ordriveway, which serves to prevent the accumulation of melted snow and toprevent spraying this area with water formed by condensation which may,in impinging upon the snow, melt the same and obstruct rather than clearthe roadway or pavement of the character described.

Making reference to the drawing, I illustrate an airplane runway l0along the center of which there is formed a trough l I, having asupporting plate I2 anchored to the concrete or roadbed 13 by anchorbolts or the like l4. Within this trough there is positioned a resilientchannel [5, whose branches I6 and I! lie against the side walls I8 andI9, respectively, of the trough, and whose bottom branch 20 lies on-'the plate l2 or is adhesively united to the same. The channel 15 maybe made of resilient rubber or similaryieldable material includingdesirably air pockets 2| where additional resiliency is found necessary.The ends 22 and 23 of the channel are arranged to lie flush with thesurface 24 of the runway or pavement. The pitch of the runway orpavedarea is in accordance with the location of the channel. as will bedescribed hereinbelow. Tubes 32 serve to drain condensed liquid into dryWells 34.

The channel 15 has spaced between the branches l6 and H a conduit 25which may desirably be formed oblong incross section, and is designed tohave its upper wall 26 project slightly above the surface 24. Side walls21 and 28 are formed near the round elbows 29 and 30 with perforationsor air nozzles 3!. These nozzles are spaced slightly above the pavementsurface 24 and their position over this area may be adjusted 3 by theadjustment on the anchoring pipes 32 which press through the drill hole33 of the plate I 2 to adry well or the like 34. An adjusting member,such as a-nut 35, may engage the plate ii! to control the upwardprojection of the conduit 25.

The anchoring pipe 32 has a connecting passage 35 leading to the chamber3'! of the conduit 25. A counterboring 38 permits movement of the nut 35thereinto while restraining the movement of the pipe through the boring33 of the plate !2. Connected to the conduit 25 is a pipe line 39 whichleads to a source of air under pressure (not shown). This may be alocalized air pumping station as from a wind tunnel or sirocco fan,whereby air at high velocity is projected into the conduits. The sourceof such air driven at high velocity through the conduit 25 is not shown.However, it may be generated by the propeller of an airplane engine orthe exhaust of a jet turbine engine, with cocling'means to reduce thetemperature whereby cold air which is found desirable is projected intothe conduit. Where extended stretches of runway are encountered,tendingto form a drop in air velocity, there may be-additionallyprovided booster stations ":16 and f5! having conduits 42 and 43 leadinginto the conduit 25- which overcome the drop in velocity to the moredistant points.

By the" installation which has been described, the runway i0 is operatedduring the falling of show and is preferably initiated before anyaccumulation of snow occurs. The direction of the airblast through thenozzles 3! is calculated to furnish a curtain of rap-idly moving air attemperatures preventing melting of the snow and tending to disperse'thesnow flakes as they reach the area of the runway. It is my explanationthat the rough concrete forms deflecting areas of desirable effect but Ido not wish to be bound by "this explanation. During heavy snowfall the"curtain of air having a drift off of the same maintains the runwayclear by preventing the accumulation on the runway, the snow beingdriven to one side of the runway where, as the velocity of the airdiminishes, the snow flake will be free 'to drop.

By anchoring of the conduit, warping of the conduit above the plane ofthe surface FM is minimized. The'rounded corners 29 and 39 form noobstruction to the wheels of an airplane or any other vehicle. Theweight of the airplane will compress the conduit 25 into the resilientchannel I 5, depressing. the anchoring nut into the countor-boring 38'.Water of condensation formed in the conduit 25 is drained off into a drywell 33'or sewer, assuring that the air emanating from the nozzles doesnot spray water over the runway, and that during the falling of snow,air free, from water-is emitted to provide the protective air curtain.-1 i While I have shown and described a runway with the conduit 25 alongits center and with the nozzles directed in opposite directions, it willbe understood that I-may provide a pair of these conduits along the sideedges in parallelism, with the air nozzles operating in the samedirection, .to have one stream supplement the other in carrying thedrift of air and the snow with it ed the pavement area underconsideration.

It will also be understood that while I have tion indicated embodiedtherein to form a curtain of air thereover, to disperse the snow flakesand prevent accumulation thereof in dangerous drifts or layers. It willbe understood, also, that while I. have described and illustrated ayieldable support with drainage provision whereby no obstruction isformed on the road surface, and avoiding the formation of major eddiesor currents tending to form drifts, it will be understood that I may,under certain circumstances, embody theconstruction as'pa'rt of a curb,-such as a parting curb on bridges or highways.

It is understood that while the devices may be put into action when snowis encountered by vigilant observation, it is contemplated by me to havesections of the highways or runways of airplanes self-patrolled so thatas snow begins to fall, these devices will be put into operation withoutinvolving' the human factor.

Figure 4 shows a modification of Figure 2 wherein a conduit 25a ofcircular cross section is supported on curb base 23a and air is suppliedunder pressure through pipe line 39a. It will be apparent that a seriesof drain lines may be used to extend into dry wells orother run-offmeans as in the prior embodiment. The side walls of the curb base 23aare arcuate and merge gradually into the plane of the roadway surfaceIsa. The series of slots cm are positioned adjacent the surface of thecurb base 23a to direct the stream of air along and parallel to thecontiguous surface of the curb base and the roadway or pavement surface,as shown by the arrows 3lb.

- In other respects the principle of the prior embodiment issubstantially retained as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An open air pavement, a conduit partially "embedded in the surface ofsaidpavement, the

walls of which conduit have nozzles which project above said surface ina series along said surface and means to supply air to said conduitunder pressure for projection through said nozzles across the surface ofthe pavement to deflect falling snow.

2. An open air pavement in accordance with claim 1 wherein said surfaceis provided with a trough within which said conduit rests, a resilientchannel in said trough supporting said conduit,

a portion of said conduit projecting above said surface of the pavementhaving said nozzles extending therefrom.

ASSEN JORDANOFF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 956,395 Gothan Aug. 2, 1910 1,656,653 Von Keller Q. Jan. 17,1928 1,945,810 Holtz' Feb. 6, 1934 2,148,773. Ozias Feb. 28, 19392,229,179 Langdon Jan. 21, 1941 2,483,704

Leigh Oct. 4, 1949

